Zoning › Maryland › Montgomery County › North Bethesda

North Bethesda, MD Zoning

Euclidean-zoning. 7 districts · 6 overlays · 2 applicable state preemptions.

Overview

Code type
euclidean
Naming convention
mixed
Naming convention by category
res_sf_large_lotlot-size-encoded — R-60 = 6,000 sf min lot; R-90 = 9,000 sf min lot; R-200 = 200,000 sf min lot
res_mfdensity-encoded (inverted scale) — R-10 = high-density multifamily (~10+ du/ac); R-20 = medium-high density; R-30 = low-density multifamily (~30 du/ac scale)
commercial_residentialFAR-encoded — CR/CRT/CRN followed by total-FAR number (e.g. CRT-2.5 = 2.5 total FAR max)

Montgomery County Chapter 59 (2014 rewrite) uses a multi-convention system: large-lot residential zones are named by minimum lot size in hundreds of square feet (R-60 = 6,000 sf); multifamily zones are named by density category (R-10 = high-density); commercial/residential zones are named by max total FAR. The 2014 rewrite replaced a 1,200-page ordinance last comprehensively overhauled in 1978.

Worth knowing
  • North Bethesda is an unincorporated census-designated place (CDP) with no municipal government. All zoning authority is exercised by Montgomery County under Chapter 59 and the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) Regional District Act (Md. Code Ann., Land Use Titles 20-27). The District Council (Montgomery County Council sitting in zoning capacity) adopts all zoning changes under LU §22-201.
  • The White Flint/Pike District is the urban core of North Bethesda, centered on the North Bethesda Metro station (WMATA Red Line; formerly called White Flint station, renamed 2022). The 2010 White Flint Sector Plan was the first application of Montgomery County's new CR zone family. The 2018 White Flint 2 Sector Plan extended the planning area northward toward Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro station.
  • Montgomery County Chapter 59 uses a FAR-encoded zone notation for commercial/residential zones: the full zone designation is e.g. 'CRT-2.5 C-0.5 R-2.0 H-100' where CRT-2.5 = zone type + max total FAR; C-0.5 = max commercial FAR; R-2.0 = max residential FAR; H-100 = max height in feet. This parcel-specific notation appears on the Digital Zoning Map but the base zone type (CRT, CR, CRN) is the schema-captured code.

+ 3 more in Quirks & notes

Districts

mu 3res_sf 2res_mf 2
CodeNameCategory Min lotHeight CoverageFAR Du/acParking Setbacks F/S/R
R-90Residential — 90 Zoneres_sf9,000 sf[4]35 ft[5]—[6]—[7]—[8]—[9]30[1] / 8[2] / 25[3]
R-60Residential — 60 Zoneres_sf6,000 sf[13]35 ft[14]35[15]—[16]—[17]—[18]—[10] / —[11] / —[12]
R-30Residential Multi-Unit Low Density — 30 Zoneres_mf—[19]—[20]—[21]—[22]30[23]—[24]— / — / —
R-10Residential Multi-Unit High Density — 10 Zoneres_mf—[25]—[26]—[27]—[28]—[29]—[30]— / — / —
CRNCommercial Residential Neighborhood Zonemu——[31]—[32]—[33]—[34]—— / — / —
CRTCommercial Residential Town Zonemu——[35]—[36]—[37]—[38]—— / — / —
CRCommercial Residential Zonemu——[39]—[40]—[41]—[42]—— / — / —

Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found

Overlays

TOD-WHITE-FLINT
White Flint Sector Plan Overlay (2010/2018)
TOD
White Flint Sector Plan (2010, District Council Resolution 16-1196); White Flint 2 Sector Plan (2018); Montgomery County Chapter 59 §59-2.2 (Digital Zoning Map amendments)

Parcels within the White Flint Sector Plan boundary (centered on North Bethesda Metro station, formerly White Flint station) and White Flint 2 Sector Plan area (Grosvenor-Strathmore station vicinity), Montgomery County, MD

metro_stations_servedNorth Bethesda (formerly White Flint) — WMATA Red Line; Grosvenor-Strathmore — WMATA Red Line
primary_zones_appliedCR, CRT, CRN with FAR/height designations specific to each parcel per sector plan recommendations; CR zones up to 8.0 total FAR near station cores
intentTransform auto-oriented Rockville Pike corridor into dense, walkable, mixed-use transit-oriented district
heaa_2024_applicabilityBoth White Flint and Grosvenor-Strathmore stations are WMATA Red Line stations — within 0.75 mi (3,960 ft) TOD radius under HEAA §7-501 et seq. HEAA density floor of 15 du/ac and streamlined approval applies to qualifying affordable projects
density_range_far0.25 to 8.0 total FAR depending on specific parcel zone designation
public_benefit_points_required50 points (CRT optional method) to 100 points (CR optional method) per §59-4.5 optional method table
FP-NFIP
FEMA NFIP Floodplain Management Overlay
FP
Montgomery County Code Chapter 19, Stormwater Management; Md. Code Ann., Environment §§5-501 through 5-513; COMAR 26.17.04

Parcels within FEMA SFHA (Special Flood Hazard Area) 100-year floodplain as shown on FEMA NFHL; Rock Creek and its tributaries pass through North Bethesda CDP

freeboard_above_bfe_ft2
freeboard_sourceMaryland state minimum per COMAR 26.17.04.05 — 2 ft above BFE (stricter than federal 1 ft minimum)
floodway_restrictionNo new construction in regulatory floodway without no-rise PE certification
waterway_permitMDE Waterway Construction Permit required for construction in 100-yr floodplain affecting stream flow (Env. §5-503)
local_floodplain_ordinanceMontgomery County participates in NFIP; local FP ordinance enforced by Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services
ENV-FOREST-CONSERVATION
Maryland Forest Conservation Act Overlay
ENV
Md. Code Ann., Natural Resources §§5-1601 through 5-1613 (FCA); Montgomery County Code Chapter 22A (Forest Conservation Law); COMAR 08.19.01

Any development project disturbing ≥40,000 sq ft of land in Montgomery County, including within North Bethesda CDP

threshold_disturbance_sf40000
required_documentsForest Stand Delineation (FSD); Forest Conservation Plan (FCP)
replacement_ratio_standard1:1 (cleared forest above threshold)
replacement_ratio_priority_forest1:4 for priority forest clearance
fee_in_lieuAvailable; rate set by county FCP ordinance
administered_byMontgomery County Planning Department and DNR Forest Service
HP-ABSENT
Historic/Heritage Overlay — Not Present in North Bethesda CDP
HP

n/a — not applicable

search_performedSearched Montgomery County historic preservation records and Planning Department resources for North Bethesda CDP; no locally-designated historic districts found within the CDP boundary; some individual Master Plan Historic Sites may be present in Montgomery County inventory but no district-level HP overlay was found for North Bethesda specifically
AH-MPDU
Moderately Priced Dwelling Unit (MPDU) Affordable Housing Program
AH
Montgomery County Code Chapter 25A (Moderately Priced Dwelling Units); Chapter 59 §59-4.5 (optional method public benefits table includes MPDU bonuses)

Any development of 20+ units in Montgomery County, including within North Bethesda CDP; mandatory inclusionary zoning county-wide

required_mpdu_pct12.5
required_mpdu_pct_optional_method15
affordability_ami_max70
density_bonus_for_mpduOptional method CRT/CR zones allow density/FAR bonus for meeting 15%+ MPDU requirement (ZTA 22-08)
administered_byMontgomery County Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA)
affordability_period_years30
ENV-STREAM-BUFFER
Environmental Overlay — Not Found (Airport/Military)
ENV

Searched for airport/airspace and military overlays affecting North Bethesda

search_performedNorth Bethesda is approximately 7 miles from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (NSA Bethesda); no AICUZ accident potential zones confirmed to cover North Bethesda CDP core; FAA Part 77 imaginary surfaces from DCA/Dulles do not directly constrain building heights in North Bethesda at ground level per available evidence; MIL/AP overlay applicability not confirmed
noteMD state overlay file identifies NSA Bethesda/Walter Reed JLUS (LU §22-301) as affecting Montgomery County; specific APZ mapping for North Bethesda CDP not confirmed from primary sources

State preemptions

MD HEAA 2024 — Housing Expansion & Affordability Act (HB 538 / SB 484, Md. Code Ann., Land Use §§7-501 to 7-508)applies
Qualifying condition
North Bethesda CDP contains two WMATA Red Line stations: North Bethesda station (formerly White Flint) and Grosvenor-Strathmore station. HEAA §7-501 triggers at ≤0.75 mi (3,960 ft) from qualifying MARC/Metro/LR station for TOD streamlined approval. Both stations qualify. Additionally, the transit-shed within 0.25 mi of North Bethesda Metro station triggers the 0-parking-minimum and 30 du/ac density floor provisions for qualifying affordable (15% @ 60% AMI) projects. Montgomery County population: 1,062,061 (2020 Census) — no population minimum in HEAA triggers. Qualifying condition: WMATA Red Line station proximity confirmed; North Bethesda station at approx. lat 39.035, lon -77.119, well within CDP boundary.
Source
US Census 2020 (county population); WMATA station locations (publicly known); HEAA text Md. Code Ann., Land Use §§7-501 to 7-508
Effect
Qualifying affordable multifamily projects (≥15% units at ≤60% AMI for 40 years rental / ≤80% AMI for 30 years for-sale) within 0.75 mi of North Bethesda or Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro stations get streamlined by-right approval, 15 du/ac density floor (30 du/ac within 0.25 mi of rail), up to 30% density bonus, and 0 parking minimums within 0.25 mi of rail stations. Does not override Critical Area Program.
MD HB 1466 (2025) — Small Houses Act / ADU Mandateapplies
Qualifying condition
HB 1466 is a statewide ADU mandate with no population threshold. North Bethesda CDP is within Montgomery County, which is subject to state law. Local-implementation deadline: October 1, 2026. Applies to all single-family and applicable residential zones including R-60 and R-90 in North Bethesda.
Source
HB 1466 (2025 MD General Assembly session); no population threshold requirement
Effect
ADU by-right on qualifying lots in R-60 and R-90 zones; local ADU ordinance must conform by October 1, 2026.
Non-applicable laws (2)
MD HB 599 / SB 477 — Missing-Middle Housing (misattributed/not enacted per state overlay file)does_not_apply
Qualifying condition
Per the Maryland state overlay file (zoning/us/maryland/preemptions.json, last_corrected 2026-05-20): the bill numbers HB 599 / SB 477 do not correspond to a statewide missing-middle zoning preemption. Actual MD HB 599 (2024) is the Housing & Community Development Financing Act. Statewide missing-middle preemption (HB 778) did NOT meet crossover in the 2026 session. Status: misattributed_not_enacted. Does not apply.
Source
Maryland state overlay file, last_corrected 2026-05-20; MD General Assembly session records
Effect
No statewide missing-middle preemption currently in force in Maryland.
MD HB 894 / SB 389 — Maryland Transit and Housing Opportunity Act (pending)does_not_apply
Qualifying condition
Per the Maryland state overlay file: status=pending as of 2026-05-18. Enrolled-chapter codification had not landed on mgaleg StatuteText/Justia as of the dossier date. Even if enacted, North Bethesda would qualify (WMATA Red Line stations). Recording as does_not_apply because law is not yet in force.
Source
Maryland state overlay file, last_reviewed 2026-05-18
Effect
If enacted: would auto-designate North Bethesda Metro and Grosvenor-Strathmore station areas as Enterprise Zones, delay impact-fee collection, cap parking minimums, and mandate mixed-use-by-right within set distances. Not currently in force.

Adopted building codes

Statewide w/ local amendments

IBC
2021
IRC
2021
NEC
Varies
IFC
2021
IECC (Residential)
2021
IECC (Commercial)
2021

Click a code label to open its state-by-state adoption atlas.

Amendment history

DateKindCitation
2014-10-30effectiveMontgomery County Council Ordinance No. 17-52 (implementing Ordinance), effective October 30, 2014; confirmed at https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/montgomerycounty/latest/montgomeryco_md_zone2014/0-0-0-1
2014-03-04adoptionMontgomery County Council Ordinance No. 17-43, adopted March 4, 2014

Quirks & notes

  • North Bethesda is an unincorporated census-designated place (CDP) with no municipal government. All zoning authority is exercised by Montgomery County under Chapter 59 and the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) Regional District Act (Md. Code Ann., Land Use Titles 20-27). The District Council (Montgomery County Council sitting in zoning capacity) adopts all zoning changes under LU §22-201.
  • The White Flint/Pike District is the urban core of North Bethesda, centered on the North Bethesda Metro station (WMATA Red Line; formerly called White Flint station, renamed 2022). The 2010 White Flint Sector Plan was the first application of Montgomery County's new CR zone family. The 2018 White Flint 2 Sector Plan extended the planning area northward toward Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro station.
  • Montgomery County Chapter 59 uses a FAR-encoded zone notation for commercial/residential zones: the full zone designation is e.g. 'CRT-2.5 C-0.5 R-2.0 H-100' where CRT-2.5 = zone type + max total FAR; C-0.5 = max commercial FAR; R-2.0 = max residential FAR; H-100 = max height in feet. This parcel-specific notation appears on the Digital Zoning Map but the base zone type (CRT, CR, CRN) is the schema-captured code.
  • The amlegal.com code portal (codelibrary.amlegal.com) returns HTTP 403 Cloudflare challenge to scripted access. Dimensional standards tables (Table 4.4.xB) for R-30, R-10, and some R-60/R-90 fields were not extractable. Montgomery County DPS publishes individual PDF fact sheets at assets.montgomerycountymd.gov/files/... which also returned binary/non-extractable content in this session. All partial fields are flagged with retrieval_failure_reason.
  • HEAA 2024 (Md. Code Ann., Land Use §§7-501 to 7-508) directly affects development economics in the White Flint/Grosvenor transit shed. The 0-parking minimum within 0.25 mi of rail stations and the 15→30 du/ac density floor for qualifying affordable projects represent material overrides of the underlying R-10, CRT, and CR zoning standards.
  • The 'Rock Spring' office campus area (northwest North Bethesda) is zoned EOF (Employment Office - Flex) and is subject to the Rock Spring Sector Plan (2017), recommending gradual mixed-use redevelopment. EOF zones present in the North Bethesda area but not captured in the small-bbox GIS query; confirmed present county-wide in the GIS statistics query.

Massing explorer

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Sources & references

Primary source
https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/montgomerycounty/latest/montgomeryco_md_zone2014/0-0-0-1
retrieved 2026-06-02
Citations
  1. [1] §59-4.4.8 — 30 ft minimum from street
  2. [2] §59-4.4.8 — 8 ft minimum each side; sum of side yards ≥ 25 ft
  3. [3] §59-4.4.8 — 25 ft minimum rear
  4. [4] §59-4.4.8
  5. [5] §59-4.4.8 — 35 ft to highest point; 30 ft at midpoint of gable/hip roof
  6. [6] §59-4.4.8
  7. [7] §59-4.4.8
  8. [8] n§59-4.4.8
  9. [9] §59-6.2.4
  10. [10] §59-4.4.9
  11. [11] §59-4.4.9
  12. [12] §59-4.4.9
  13. [13] §59-4.4.9 — confirmed; lots < 6,000 sf may qualify for resubdivision exception under legacy provisions (Sec. 59-B-5.2)
  14. [14] §59-4.4.9 — 35 ft to highest point; 30 ft at midpoint of gable/hip roof
  15. [15] §59-4.4.9 — 35% lot coverage; 30% if lot area < 6,000 sf
  16. [16] §59-4.4.9
  17. [17] n§59-4.4.9
  18. [18] §59-6.2.4
  19. [19] §59-4.4.14
  20. [20] §59-4.4.14
  21. [21] §59-4.4.14
  22. [22] §59-4.4.14
  23. [23] §59-4.4.14 — zone named for density category; 30 du/ac is the density tier referenced in ZTA 22-07 (Optional Method Development)
  24. [24] §59-6.2.4
  25. [25] §59-4.4.16
  26. [26] §59-4.4.16
  27. [27] §59-4.4.16
  28. [28] §59-4.4.16
  29. [29] §59-4.4.16
  30. [30] §59-6.2.4
  31. [31] §59-4.5.2 — height encoded in zone designation as H suffix; CRN range 25–65 ft per Montgomery Planning guidance
  32. [32] §59-4.5.3
  33. [33] §59-4.5.2 — CRN FAR set by suffix number (e.g. CRN-0.75 = 0.75 total FAR; C=max commercial FAR; R=max residential FAR; H=max height in ft, per zone designation notation)
  34. [34] §59-4.5
  35. [35] §59-4.5.2 — height encoded in zone designation H suffix; CRT range 35–150 ft
  36. [36] §59-4.5.3
  37. [37] §59-4.5.2 — CRT FAR set by suffix number (e.g. CRT-2.5 = 2.5 max total FAR); full designation also carries C (commercial FAR), R (residential FAR), and H (height in ft) modifiers
  38. [38] §59-4.5
  39. [39] §59-4.5.2 — H suffix encodes height; CR range 35–300 ft countywide; heights up to 300 ft possible near transit stations
  40. [40] §59-4.5.3
  41. [41] §59-4.5.2 — CR FAR set by suffix number; countywide range 0.5–8.0 total FAR; White Flint station area parcels may carry CR-3.0 to CR-8.0 designations
  42. [42] §59-4.5

Research status

Publication gates

primary url presentpassedhttps://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/montgomerycounty/latest/montgomeryco_md_zone2014/0-0-0-1 — authoritative amlegal county code URL; not an aggregator
no aggregator citedpassedscan clean — no Zoneomics, Steadily, SitePlanGuide, Propwire, Zonara, or Unzoned citations
confidence tags full formpassed9/9 confirmed fields carry §-citations (c§59-4.4.8, c§59-4.4.9, c§59-4.4.14, c§59-4.4.16, c§59-4.5.2, c§25A, c§22A, c§59-2.2, c§59 state overlay); all partial fields carry retrieval_failure_reason per FM-8
overlays have parameters trigger confidencepassed6 overlays — each has non-null params, non-null trigger, status, and confidence code. HP-ABSENT uses params.search_performed to document absence. ENV-Stream-Buffer (airport/military) uses params.search_performed per not_found discipline.
preempt section city specificpassedMD is not an active-preemption state per Gate 5 list (not CA/TX/FL/OR/WA/CO/MN/MT/UT/AZ/NJ/CT). However 4 state preemption entries documented with city-specific qualifying_condition_checked: HEAA (both Metro stations confirmed within 0.75 mi, population inputs stated); HB 1466 (statewide, no threshold); HB 599 (not enacted — documented with source); HB 894 (pending). Gate 5 not required but satisfied.

Data quality

52%completeness9 confirmed22 partial3 not found
Documented gaps
  • R-90 lot coverage not extracted (Cloudflare gate on DPS PDF)
  • R-60 front/side/rear setbacks not extracted from gated table
  • R-30 min lot, height, FAR, coverage not extracted
  • R-10 all dimensional standards not extracted
  • CRN/CRT/CR specific parcel FAR/height requires Digital Zoning Map parcel lookup
  • EOF zone standards not captured (present in NW North Bethesda Rock Spring area)
  • Airport/military overlay (Walter Reed JLUS) APZ coverage not confirmed for CDP
  • Historic district inventory not fully confirmed for absence

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